A drum is a musical instrument that is intended to produce loud sounds. This noise level provides drawbacks for the drummer who wishes to play at lower volume; for example, when practicing around other people or in a residence. The drummer may also wish to practice technique and feel by using stage quality drum sticks with full force drum strikes. Further, it may be desired to have both a loud, performance volume playing mode and a quiet, unobtrusive, practice volume playing mode on a single instrument. Currently available solutions for reducing drum strike volume do not satisfactorily achieve these goals.
What is needed is a percussion instrument system that allows the drummer to produce a loud, performance level volume and an unobtrusive, quiet, practice level volume without compromising the physical feel and rebound of the drum heads and without adding, removing, or changing any hardware.